GPlates Tutorial:
Loading/Saving Data
and Changing Colours
Kara J. Matthews1
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EarthByte Research Group, School of Geosciences, University of Sydney, Australia
www.gplates.org
The Basics of Working with Data in GPlates
AIM
This tutorial is designed to teach the user how to: 1) Load data, 2) Save data and 3)
Experiment with colours. Screen shots have been included to illustrate how to
complete new steps within each exercise.
INCLUDED FILES
The data bundle for this tutorial, ‘Loading_Saving_Colouring’, includes the following
GPlates compatible feature files:
-
EarthByte Global Coastline File
EarthByte Global Mid Ocean Ridge File
See www.earthbyte.org/Resources/earthbyte_gplates.html for EarthByte data sets.
BACKGROUND
Feature Collections
Data files loaded into GPlates are referred to as Feature Collections. This is because
all data in GPlates are regarded as ‘features’ (e.g. MORs, volcanoes, etc) — whether
geological or reconstructed data. For example, the EarthByte Global Coastline File
contains the outlines of all the present day coastlines of the world, these coastlines can
be thought of as features and therefore when we load the coastline file we are loading
a ‘feature collection’. Basins, Cratons, Faults, Hotspots, Isochrons, Mid-Ocean
Ridges, Seamounts, Subduction Zones, Sutures and Volcanoes are just some of the
other many feature types handled by GPlates. Alternatively a feature can remain
‘unclassified’. Rotation files are also loaded as a Feature Collection.
File Formats
GPlates is able to load and save a number of date-file formats, including PLATES4
line (*.dat *.pla), GPlates Markup Language (*.gpml) and ESRI shape files (*.shp).
Additionally data can be exported in the GMT xy (*.xy) format.
See the GPlates online manual for further information: www.gplates.org/usermanual/LoadingAndSaving.html
EXERCISE 1 – Loading Data
In this exercise we will be loading into GPlates the EarthByte Coastline File and the
EarthByte Global Mid Ocean Ridge File.
1. Open GPlates
2. File  Open Feature Collection… (Figure 1)  locate and select
Global_EarthByte_GPlates_Coastlines_20091014.gpml and
Global_EarthByte_GPlates_Mid_Ocean_Ridges_20091015.gpml in the
Loading_Saving_Colouring data bundle*  Open
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*Hold down the Control (PC) or Command (Mac) key to select multiple files.
Figure 1. How to load a Feature Collection into GPlates from the menu bar.
The coastlines and spreading ridges of the world are now displayed on the globe.
Using the Drag Globe
tool from the Tool Palette spend some time interacting
with the globe; rotating it to see the different features. Once you have clicked this
icon, click (and hold) anywhere on the globe and drag it (move the mouse around).
While this tool is selected you can drag the globe as many times as you like and rotate
it in any direction. You will learn more about controlling the view of the globe in the
next tutorial.
The Manage Feature Collections (Figures 2) window is an alternative way to upload
data sets. This useful option also enables you to save, unload and switch off data sets.
We will make use of the Manage Feature Collections window in EXERCISE 2.
Figure 2. The ‘Manage Feature Collections’ option.
Once data files are loaded into GPlates they can be turned on and off, without being
unloaded (ejected). This is a useful, time-saving feature that is especially handy when
many different data sets are being viewed and analysed. It can reduce clutter on the
globe and help the user to compare data sets without being overwhelmed with too
many points, lines or polygons. This functionality is contained within the Manage
Feature Collections window.
We will now turn off, and then back on our spreading ridges.
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3. File  Manage Feature Collections  Look under the heading ‘Layer Types’
(third column of data – Figure 3) and you will notice a small ticked box – by
hovering the cursor over this box you will see that it says “The file contains
feature data in use by GPlates” (Figure 4) – now un-check this box (on the line
that corresponds to
Global_EarthByte_GPlates_Mid_Ocean_Ridges_20091015.gpml) by
clicking it (Figure 5).
Figure 3. ‘Layer Types’ indicates whether a file is currently in use. In this instance
both boxed are ticked, and therefore the feature data are being displayed on the globe.
Figure 4. Hovering the cursor over the ticked box provides further information on
the status of the relevant data file (in this case the feature data are in use by GPlates).
Figure 5. As only one box is now ticked, only one set of feature data is being
displayed on the globe.
Now when you look at the globe you will see that the spreading ridge data are no
longer displayed. If you go back to your Manage Feature Collections window and
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hover your cursor over the unchecked box you will see that it now reads “The file
contains feature data not currently in use by GPlates”. Simply re-tick the box and the
spreading ridge feature data will appear again!
EXERCISE 2 – Saving Data Sets
This exercise continues on from the previous exercise. We will now see the different
options available for saving data.
Open the Manage Feature Collections window and have a look at the different
available actions.
1. File  Manage Feature Collections (Figures 2 and 6)
Figure 6. The Manage Feature Collections window.
As you can see, the Manage Feature Collections dialog contains a table of controls
and status information about the feature collections that are loaded in GPlates; each
row corresponds to a single feature collection, and lists file name, format and
available actions. There are three options (‘Actions’) available for saving data:
(1) Save
name.
(2) Save As
– This first option simply saves the data file using its current
– This second option saves the data file using a new name.
(3) Save a Copy
– This third option saves a copy of the file using a new
name. If this option is selected then the original file will remain loaded in
GPlates and the copy will be made in the selected destination.
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In order to practice saving data we will save our coastline file with a new name –
‘EarthByte_Coastlines_Copy’ (for example). Click the ‘Save As’ icon and enter the
new file details in the Save File As window that appears (Figure 7), leave the file
format as GPlates Markup Language (*.gpml).
Figure 7. The ‘Save As’ window where a new file name, and optionally a new file
format, are specified.
Notice that the File Name in the Manage Feature Collections window has updated
itself. You could now work on this file, for example add features to it, and not have
to worry about modifying the original contents of the file.
We will leave the current feature collections loaded ready for the next exercise.
EXERCISE 3 – Changing Feature Colours
In this exercise we will learn how to experiment with feature colours. Features in
GPlates can be coloured according to their attributes or they can be assigned a single
colour scheme. This functionality improves the user’s ability to effectively view and
analyse data, particularly multiple data sets. By default features are coloured by Plate
ID. Other colouring options include: Plate ID (by region), Single Colour, Feature
Type and Feature Age. Note that you can only change the colour scheme for all
features, not individual features.
As a first example we will colour our feature collections using a single colour.
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1. Layers  Manage Colouring  select All from the Feature Collection drop
down menu  Single Colour  Blue (Figures 8 and 9)
Figure 8. How to experiment with different feature geometry colours using the
‘Manage Colouring’ options.
Figure 9. Coastlines and spreading ridges coloured blue.
Now spend some time trying the different colouring options (Figure 10).
A
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B
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C
D
Figure 10. Globe coloured by: (A) Plate ID (by region), (B) Feature Type, (C)
Feature Age (default) and (D) Single Colour (customised: Add  choose colour from
colour wheel).
GPlates also allows the user to colour data sets separately. So in this current example
our coastlines can be coloured using a different scheme from our ridges (Figure 11).
2. Layers  Manage Colouring  select the data set that you would like to
colour differently from the Feature Collection drop down box  untick the
Use Global Colour Scheme Box  now select the colour scheme  Choose.
Now spend some time playing around with the various colouring options.
Figure 11. The coastlines are coloured according to age using a monochrome colour
scheme, while the present-day spreading ridges are coloured according to plate ID.
To end this exercise we will unload all our data leaving the globe empty. The
Manage Feature Collections window (Figure 6) allows us to ‘eject’ data file.
3. File  Manage Feature Collections  Eject
data sets)  Close
(click this icon for both
Your globe now appears empty and no data files are loaded into GPlates.
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